Safeguarding Policy

Purpose

The purpose of this policy is to protect people – particularly children, at-risk adults and beneficiaries of assistance – from any harm that may be caused due to their coming into contact with Bridgwater Area Cycling Campaign (hereinafter referred to as ‘BACC’ or ‘the group’).  This includes harm arising from: 

• The conduct of volunteers, staff, and anyone associated with BACC;
• The design and implementation of BACC’s programmes and activities.

The policy lays out the commitments made by BACC, and informs volunteers and associated personnel of their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. 

This policy does not cover safeguarding concerns in the wider community not perpetrated by BACC or associated personnel.

What is Safeguarding?

In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples’ health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.

In our sector, we understand it to mean protecting people, including children and at-risk adults, from harm that arises from coming into contact with our staff or programmes.

Further definitions relating to safeguarding are provided in the glossary below.

Scope

• All persons volunteering on a formal basis with BACC.
• All staff contracted by BACC.
• Associated personnel whilst engaged with work or activities related to BACC, including but not limited to the following: consultants; volunteers; contractors; programme visitors including journalists, celebrities and politicians.

All of the above persons are hereinafter referred to as ‘associates’.

Policy Statement

BACC believes that everyone we come into contact with, regardless of age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation or ethnic origin has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect and exploitation.  BACC will not tolerate abuse and exploitation by anyone associated with the group.

This policy will address the following areas of safeguarding [as appropriate]:  child safeguarding, adult safeguarding, and protection from sexual exploitation and abuse.  These key areas of safeguarding may have different policies and procedures associated with them (see Associated Policies below).

BACC commits to addressing safeguarding throughout its work, through the three pillars of prevention, reporting and response.

Prevention

BACC responsibilities

BACC will:

• Ensure all associates have access to, are familiar with, and know their responsibilities within this policy;
• Design and undertake all its programmes and activities in a way that protects people from any risk of harm that may arise from their coming into contact with BACC.  This includes the way in which information about individuals in our programmes is gathered and communicated;
• Implement stringent safeguarding procedures when recruiting, managing and deploying staff and associated personnel;
• Ensure staff receive training on safeguarding at a level commensurate with their role in the organisation;
• Follow up on reports of safeguarding concerns promptly and according to due process.

Associate responsibilities

Child safeguarding

BACC associates must not:

• Engage in sexual activity with anyone under the age of 18;
• Sexually abuse or exploit children;
• Subject a child to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect;
• Engage in any commercially exploitative activities with children including child labour or trafficking.

Adult safeguarding

BACC associates must not:

• Sexually abuse or exploit at-risk adults;
• Subject an at-risk adult to physical, emotional or psychological abuse, or neglect.

Protection from sexual exploitation and abuse

BACC associates must not:

• Exchange money, employment, goods or services for sexual activity. This includes any exchange of assistance that is due to beneficiaries of assistance.
• Engage in any sexual relationships with beneficiaries of assistance, since they are based on inherently unequal power dynamics.

Additionally, BACC associates are obliged to:

• Contribute to creating and maintaining an environment that prevents safeguarding violations and promotes the implementation of the Safeguarding Policy;
• Report any concerns or suspicions regarding safeguarding violations by a BACC associate to the Safeguarding Lead. 

Enabling reports

BACC will ensure that safe, appropriate, accessible means of reporting safeguarding concerns are made available to staff and the communities we work with.

BACC will also accept complaints from external sources such as members of the public, partners and official bodies.  

How to report a safeguarding concern

Associates who have a complaint or concern relating to safeguarding should report it immediately to the Safeguarding Lead.  If the associate does not feel comfortable reporting to the Safeguarding Lead (for example if they feel that the report will not be taken seriously, or if that person is implicated in the concern) they may report to any other appropriate BACC member.

Safeguarding Lead: David Thomas

Telephone 07971 184 741

Email david_sustransranger@btinternet.com 

Response

BACC will follow up safeguarding reports and concerns according to policy and procedure, and legal and statutory obligations.

Any associate found in breach of policy may be subject to a formal cessation of contact with the group. In cases where the law has been broken, this will be reported to the police.

BACC will offer support to survivors of harm caused by associates, regardless of whether a formal internal response is carried out (such as an internal investigation).  Decisions regarding support will be led by the survivor.

Confidentiality

It is essential that confidentiality is maintained at all stages of the process when dealing with safeguarding concerns.  Information relating to the concern and subsequent case management should be shared on a need-to-know basis only, and should be kept secure at all times. 

Associated policies

Code of Conduct

Glossary of Terms

At-risk adult

Sometimes also referred to as vulnerable adult.  A person who is or may be in need of care by reason of mental or other disability, age or illness; and who is or may be unable to take care of him or herself, or unable to protect him or herself against significant harm or exploitation.

Beneficiary of Assistance

Someone who directly receives goods or services from [NGO]’s programme.  Note that misuse of power can also apply to the wider community that the NGO serves, and also can include exploitation by giving the perception of being in a position of power.

Child

A person below the age of 18.

Harm

Psychological, physical and any other infringement of an individual’s rights.

Psychological harm

Emotional or psychological abuse, including (but not limited to) humiliating and degrading treatment such as bad name calling, constant criticism, belittling, persistent shaming, solitary confinement and isolation.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

The term used by the humanitarian and development community to refer to the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse of affected populations by staff or associated personnel.  The term derives from the United Nations Secretary General’s Bulletin on Special Measures for Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (ST/SGB/2003/13).

Safeguarding

In the UK, safeguarding means protecting peoples’ health, wellbeing and human rights, and enabling them to live free from harm, abuse and neglect.

In our sector, we understand it to mean protecting people, including children and at-risk adults, from harm that arises from coming into contact with our staff or programmes.  One donor definition is as follows:

Safeguarding means taking all reasonable steps to prevent harm, particularly sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment from occurring; to protect people, especially vulnerable adults and children, from that harm; and to respond appropriately when harm does occur.

This definition draws from our values and principles and shapes our culture. It pays specific attention to preventing and responding to harm from any potential, actual or attempted abuse of power, trust, or vulnerability, especially for sexual purposes.

Safeguarding applies consistently and without exception across our programmes, partners and staff. It requires proactively identifying, preventing and guarding against all risks of harm, exploitation and abuse and having mature, accountable and transparent systems for response, reporting and learning when risks materialise. Those systems must be survivor-centred and also protect those accused until proven guilty.

Safeguarding puts beneficiaries and affected persons at the centre of all we do. 

Sexual abuse

The term ‘sexual abuse’ means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. 

Sexual exploitation

The term ‘sexual exploitation’ means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another.  This definition incudes human trafficking and modern slavery.

Survivor

The person who has been abused or exploited. The term ‘survivor’ is often used in preference to ‘victim’ as it implies strength, resilience and the capacity to survive, however it is the individual’s choice how they wish to identify themselves.